Display counter



Aug. 13, 1940- K, w LL 2,211,113

DISPLAY COUNTER Filed July 9, 1958 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR BVZZQM/ATTORNEYS K. w. HAL ,L

DISPLAY COUNTER 1 Au g.13, 1940.

Filed July 9, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /(a/7h W. Ha// INVENTOR Zzz/ZZWMIIIIIIllIIlrllllllirlllllllli llldill!!! ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 13,1940 a v UNITED STATE PATENT "OFFICE 1* Keith w. Hall, Ann Arbor, Mich.,assignor to Tolco, Inc., Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio UApplication July 9, 1938, Serial No. 218,467 1 Claim. (01. 312-171Displays of fruit, vegetables-and like products compartment slopes atsuch an angle that the in retail stores are most effective when largefront of the floor is lower than the rear. Produce masses of theproducts are employed. A massive arranged in the compartmentsof suchadisplay display makes the customer feel that he is being counter appearsto a person standing in front of- 5 given the opportunity to make aselection from a the counter to be a substantially solidbank .of freshbatch of products, and a meager display produce, so that an effective,massive display is always appears to be made up of the lastrempresented. I nants of the merchants stock. Consequently, a Fig. Ishows a portion of ac'ounter madeup of merchant who displays largemasses of products identical sections, one entire section and a por- '0makes greater sales than a merchant who pretion of each of the twoadjacent sections being I 0- sents a meager display. shown. Although thedrawings, for the sake of A wall or bank of vegetables or other productssimplicity, show a counter made up of similar does not afiord aconvenient display, because the sections, the sectionsof a counter donot allneed products at the bottom cannot be removed with to be of asimilar type. For examplemne or more been customary heretofore todisplay products structed as to serve as a wrapping or weighing a on thefiat or moderately sloping top of a counter. table instead of a displaysection.

Although display counters containing two or The main supporting membersof each section more tiers of compartments have more capacity are itstwo side panels H), which rest upon the 2 for the same floor space thancounters with disfloor of the room and are tied together at the playcompartments only on top, it has not been front by means of areinforcing bar II. The rear thought possible to display productseffectively in wall l2 of 'each section is secured to the side panthelower display compartments of counters havels l0 and has its lower edgeturned inward to ing more than one tier of compartments. form a flangel3. Resting upon the flange I3 25. The principal object of the inventionis to proand the'reinforci'ng bar II is a plate I4 closing vide aconstruction for a display counter having the bottom of the section. Imore than one tier of compartments, such as to Upon the plate l4 may beplaced baskets conproduce a highly effective display of the productstaining a reserve supply of the products to be in all the compartments.More specific objects displayed. The masses of products in the displayso, and advantages are apparent fromthe descripcompartments becomedepleted. as the products tion, in which reference is had to theaccomare sold and it is desirable to have the reserve panying drawingsillustrating a preferred embodsupply of products handy, so that anattractive,

irnent of the invention. i massive display can be maintained by continu-Fig. I of the drawings is a perspective of adisously replenishing thedisplay compartments. 5 play counter embodying the invention, with por-In front of the baskets stored in the lower portions broken away to showthe interior construction of the section is a removable front panel, l5tion. which is held in place by a bayonet slot connec- Fig. II is a.fragmentary vertical section taken tion with pins [6 fixed in the sidepanels l0. (See on the line II-II of Fig. I. Fig. V.) The lower edge ofeach of the'front Fig. III is a fragmentary vertical section takenpanels I5 curves inward to provide a toe space at 40 on the lineIII--III of Fig. II. the front of the counter, and the curved portionFig. IV is a fragmentary horizontal section of the front panel-isreinforced by two struts l 1. taken on the line IVIV of Fig. Ill Arectangular opening or notch I8 is cut into Fig. V is a fragmentaryvertical section taken the rear edge of each of the side panels it].(See on the line VV of Fig. I. Fig. II.) Secured to the rear wall l2 ofeach sec- 45 These specific drawings and the specific detion by means ofscrews I9 is a drain trough 20 scription that follows merely discloseand illusthat extends from section to section through the trate theinvention and are not intended to imrectangular openings l8 and leads toa suitable pose limitations upon the claims. drain connection.

The most effective display is attained in ac- Fig. IV shows how thesections are joined to- 5 cordance with the invention by means of adisgether. Between the rear edges of each pair of play counter havingits front inclined backward adjacent side panels H] are arranged rearspacers from the vertical. Preferably the ledge at the 2|. The sidepanels NJ, as well as the overlying front of each display compartment isinclined flanges 22 of the rear walls l2 of the two adjacent forwardfrom the vertical, and the fioor of the sections, are drawn together bymeans of bolts 55 out disturbing the whole bank. It has, therefore, ofthe sections in a counter may be so con- 23. Screws 24 are used tosecurefront spacers 25 between the front edges of the two adjacent sidepanels ill. These screws serve chiefly for locating the spacers. Securedto the spacers by additional screws 26 is a decorative strip 2! thatlocks the side panels together at the front. The lower end of thedecorative strip 21 extends down to the floor and covers the spacebetween the adjacent ends of the two reinforcing bars II, (See Fig. I.)

The side panels iii of each section support a pan 28 that forms thecover or top wall of the bottom compartment in which the reserve supplyof products is stored. Dovetailing with the front edge of the pan 28 isa ledge 29 inclined forward from the vertical, beneath which is aswinging door 30 hinged upon pins 3| fixed in the side panels l0. Somedistance above the lower pan 28 is an upper pan 32 of similar shape. Thepans are provided with similar drain openings 33. Dovetailing with theupper pan 32 is a forwardly inclined upper ledge 34 which is similar tothe lower ledge 29 except that the upper ledge is provided with aninturned flange 35.

The upper pan 32 forms the top wall of the middle compartment. At therear of the compartment is a false back 36, the lower portion 31 ofwhich is turned backward and terminates in a flange 38 secured to therear wall [2 of the section by means of screws 39. (See Fig II.) At eachend of the false back near the top, tongues 40 are turned forward andsecured touthe side panels IE3 by means of screws 4|. The upper edge ofthe false back 36 terminates in a flange 42 that bears against thebottom of the upper pan 32.

In order to illuminate the middle compartment, an electric light fixturemay be provided behind a shield 43 secured to the upper ledge 34. (SeeFig. I.) A light fixture for illuminating the upper compartment may beconcealed behind a curved shield 44 formed at the front edged the coverplate 45 at the top of the section.

Products in the middle and upper compartments are supported uponperforated plates 46, the front edges of which rest upon the upper ledge34 and the lower ledge 29. The rear edge of each perforated plate 46 ishigher than the front edge and is supported upon hooks 4'! at any one ofseveral various levels.

Although the bottom compartment of the section serves primarily as astorage compartment for holding the reserve supply of products used toreplenish the two display compartments above,

products in the bottom compartment knows that he is being afforded anopportunity to make a selection from a fresh batch of products. Thebottom compartment in each section is provided with means for holdingthe swinging door 30 in its inward position. (Shown in dotted lines inFig. V.) Attached to a flange 48 at the lower edge of the swinging door30 is a spring catch 49. (See Fig. V.) The nose of the catch engages arecess in a bracket 50, secured to the lower pan 28, when the door isopen, and engages a recess in' a bracket secured to the removable frontpanel [5, when the door is closed.

Although the swinging door 30 should be in its open position when thereserve supply of products in the baskets is to be displayed, theremovable front panel [5 should be left in place except while thebaskets are being inserted or removed. The panel 15 conceals the frontsof rough baskets. When the baskets are full and the swinging door 301sin its open position about all that can be seen in the bottomcompartment is the mass of products, no part of the baskets beingvisible except their rims. The swinging door 30 can be closed when thebaskets become depleted.

The pans 28 and 32 have upturned rear and side edges 52 compressingrubber gaskets 53 against the rear wall l2 and the side panels H) of thesection. (See Fig. II.) Thus the display compartments are watertight atthe bottom and are easy to flush out and clean. An upper drain spout 54receives water from the drain opening 33 in the upper pan 32 and leadsit into the lower pan 28. Water from the lower pan is led into the draintrough 20 through a lower drain spout 55, and the drain opening 33 ofthe lower pan is protected by a drain guard 56.

Each of the display compartments is divided into two parts by means ofa. partition 51. (See Fig. 1.) The apparatus may be finished inporcelain enamel or any other suitable resistant finish. It should benoted that the display compartments need not be open at the front. Ifdesired, they may be closed in front by slidable glass partitions.

-The construction illustrated in the drawings may be modified andvarious embodiments of the invention may be devised to meet various requirements.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A display counter comprising, in combination, two superimposed displaycompartments, a false floor in each compartment sloping at such an anglethat the front of the floor is lower than the rear, a sloping drain panbelow each false floor the rear of which is lower than the front, and afalse back for the lower compartment, the upper drain pan having anopening for discharging water behind said false back into the lowerdrain pan.

KEITH W. HALL.

